Two recent crashes involving small children show how dangerous backover accidents can be. As Naples accident lawyers, we want to make sure parents and caregivers know what to do to protect their children.

In one incident, a seven-year-old girl was seriously injured after getting run over by a car backing up into a parking space in a Golden Gate City apartment complex parking lot. The driver was charged with improper backing.

In another, a toddler was killed after being run over in a high school parking lot. According to reports, the child wandered off in the parking lot while his mother was distracted getting something from her car. At the same time, the driver of an SUV was reversing her car and did not see the child behind it.

Unfortunately, these are not isolated accidents. Every year, thousands of children are hurt or die because a driver backing up didn’t see them.

To help prevent further tragedies, we would like to share the following tips for preventing a backover accident.

• Walk around and behind a vehicle prior to moving it.
• Know where your kids are. Make children move away from your vehicle to a place where they are in full view before moving the car and know that another adult is properly supervising children before moving your vehicle.
• Teach children that “parked” vehicles might move. Let them know that they can see the vehicle; but the driver might not be able to see them.
• Consider installing cross view mirrors, audible collision detectors, rear view video camera and/or some type of back up detection device.
• Measure the size of your blind spot (area) behind the vehicles you drive. A 5-foot-1-inch driver in a pickup truck can have a rear blind spot of 50 feet.
• Be aware that steep inclines and large SUV’s, vans and trucks add to the difficulty of seeing behind a vehicle.
• Hold children’s hand when leaving the vehicle.
• Teach your children to never play in, around or behind a vehicle.
• Keep toys and other sports equipment off the driveway.
• Never leave children alone in or around cars; not even for a minute.
• Keep vehicles locked at all times; even in the garage or driveway.
• Keys should never be left within reach of children.
• Always make sure all child passengers have left the car after it is parked.
• Be especially careful about keeping children safe in and around cars during busy times, schedule changes and periods of crisis or holidays.

Source: Kid and Cars

The Dellutri Law Group is focused on making bad situations better and putting lives back together. If you or someone you love has been seriously injured in a Naples car accident caused by someone else’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation.

To learn more about your legal options, contact our experienced Naples injury attorneys for a free consultation. 

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